Six youths arrested for damaging cars, motorcycle

JAKARTA (JP): Two cars were damaged and a motorcycle was set on fire at Mal Kelapa Gading shopping center in North Jakarta in the early hours of Sunday, when a group of young men ran amok after being warned by a mall security guard to stop racing their motorbikes in the area.

According to a spokesman for the city police, Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang, the local police arrested at least six of the youths accused of damaging the cars belonging to the Sogo Kelapa Gading department store and the motorcycle belonging to one of the mall's security guards.

"The young men got angry because one of the security guards warned them not to race their motorbikes on the street in front of the mall," Aritonang said.

He said the incident happened at 1:30 a.m when dozens of youths between the ages of 15 and 20 were asked by the security guard, identified only as CZ Mopu, to stop racing on the nearby street of Jl. Kelapa Gading Raya.

Armed with knives and machetes, the angry youths returned to confront the guard, who sought safety in the mall when he realized that he was outnumbered by the youths, Aritonang said.

Failing to find the security guard, the youths burned a motorcycle in the mall's parking lot, he said.

After burning the motorcycle, the mob then smashed the windows of two cars -- a Kijang van and a truck, he said.

The mall's other security guards immediately phoned the police.

Aritonang said a troop of some 100 police officers deployed to the shopping center managed to arrest six of the youths.

"Most of them were able to flee," Aritonang added.

The six arrested were identified as Priyono, M. Arafah, Mario L., Herdinsyah alias Bodong, Nahrowi and Sigit.

The officers also seized three motorcycles and a number of machetes from the youths, he said.

According to witnesses, the youths usually race their motorbikes on the street in front of the mall every Saturday and Sunday night.

The young men usually stop motorists from passing down the street in order to conduct their races, the witnesses said.

Several other streets in the city have been chosen by different groups of young men for racing their motorcycles and cars.

The streets include Jl. Asia Afrika in South Jakarta and Jl. Basuki Rachmat in East Jakarta.

The races are often bet on by both the racers as well as onlookers.

Police raids conducted to halt the motorcycle races have not proved successful in putting an end to the dangerous activities, which have claimed a number of lives; mostly those of passersby and passing motorists. (jun)